@DG how so? Most likely it will be superseded by the next Xbox so unless MS are going to allow some sort of upgrade path (not likely) or make the X the base for next gen (possible given the idea of a "family" of devices) getting an X to future proof does not seem like a good idea.

Review

Ashen

Lighter Souls

In a year with so many massive AAA releases, Ashen is yet another enjoyable indie game that flew below everyone’s radar. Developed by New Zealand studio A44 and released on Xbox One and PC, it finally gives Microsoft fans their own exclusive ‘Souls-like, albeit one that doesn’t consider wallowing in oppressive misery an essential feature. Ashen wears its inspiration on its sleeve for all to see but manages to provide a more uplifting and accessible experience, along with a novel take on multiplayer.

Ashen's world is sprawling and diverse, with no shortage of interesting places to explore, battle, and die in.

The overarching story is the usual pretentious bollocks. A realm consumed by darkness is brought back to life by the arrival of the “Ashen”, a giant luminous (incandescent?) bird that lands on the world tree. As it ages and dies, the Ashen’s final three breaths create three distinct ages, the last one being the arrival of man (let me know if you’ve heard this somewhere before). Your slightly-customisable, mostly-featureless human protagonist witnesses the beginning of the rebirth cycle and must assist several important characters of yore in stopping the forces of darkness, ensuring a new cycle of light begins.

...I never paid too much heed to the overarching story, preferring to spend my time assisting several companions that slowly settle and develop the ramshackle town, “Vagrant’s Rest”...

Honestly, I never paid too much heed to the overarching story, preferring to spend my time assisting several companions that slowly settle and develop the ramshackle town, “Vagrant’s Rest”, which you establish in the opening hours. Your townsfolk are not only essential to character progression – providing crafting facilities, equipable talismans, and rewarding attribute upgrades for completing their sidequests – they’ll also join you as AI companions while out exploring the world. Each has a distinct personality and unravelling their backstories reveals much about the long history of the world and the fall of the previous empire. They function similarly in battle, but I was nonetheless thrilled to see who would be joining me and always prioritised their quests above all else.

The numerous companions and their side stories entertained me far more than the main narrative.

If you’ve played a ‘Souls game - or any other action-RPG governed by a stamina meter - you’ll know what you’re in for. Ashen sticks close to the basic template but focused entirely on melee weapons. There’s a choice between blunt weapons, which can stun, or bladed weapons, which have a critical-damage chance (in one- or two-handed variants), and you can equip a range of armour and shields, with the usual protection vs. stamina trade-off. By collecting “scoria” (i.e. souls) from fallen foes - which, of course, drops on death - you can upgrade weapons, your lantern (a necessity for exploring many dark areas), craft short-lived potions, or upgrade your sap gourd (i.e. estus flask). You can also craft spears – Ashen’s one concession to fans of ranged attacks – but these are best saved for aggroing foes, picking off weaker ranged attackers, and occasionally cheesing an annoying enemy. As you progress through Ashen’s world – which is made up of several large, open areas connected in a linear fashion – you discover ritual stones (i.e. bonfires) that you return to after dying and act as fast-travel points later. The game even has a map and marker system, removing some of the thrill of exploration but it only ever points you in the general direction.

Ashen follows the design mantra of “if you can see it, you can go there”, and the fluid traversal and platforming moveset make exploring the sprawling, oversized world enthralling, rather than frustrating.

There are no offensive skills or spells to unlock, other than weapon-specific combos, but passive abilities are gained by socketing up to four talismans into your charm of choice (which also offer different perks). These streamlined mechanics do feel limiting as you progress – completing sidequests for stat boosts, upgrading weapons, and finding rare feathers are the only way to improve your survivability – but Ashen offsets this with an increased focus on traversal and exploration, rewarding the inquisitive with large scoria stashes and rare crafting items. Platforming is a big part of Ashen and, unlike its contemporaries, it works. It can feel clunky, sure, but your character can leap huge distances, grab ledges, and mantle with ease. Ashen follows the design mantra of “if you can see it, you can go there”, and the fluid traversal and platforming moveset make exploring the sprawling, oversized world enthralling, rather than frustrating.

Although Ashen is not the first game to introduce town-building as part of the experience, it's a pleasant change in the 'Souls-like genre and provides motivation to push on.

Combat is forgiving, at first, thanks to the companion system (which you can disable if you really want). As with any ‘Souls-like game, pattern recognition and crowd-management are key, but having a companion that can draw the attention of your foes is always a boon. That said, Ashen’s companions can both make and break the experience. Sometimes you’ll watch them kite enemies and expertly dodge blows, opening them up for you to attack from the rear. Other times, they’ll get stuck on a piece of scenery or fling themselves off a cliff to their doom because the path-finding bugged out. When in combat yourself, character movement is fluid, if a little floaty, while weapon impacts feel suitably meaty and satisfying. Occasional difficulty spikes, particularly when first traversing the Seat of the Matriarch and Palace of Lathyrus gauntlets are an issue, but the combination of level design and stunning aesthetics cemented these as some of the best dungeons I’ve tackled in years.

Occasional difficulty spikes, particularly when first traversing the Seat of the Matriarch and Palace of Lathyrus gauntlets are an issue, but the combination of level design and stunning aesthetics cemented these as some of the best dungeons I’ve tackled in years.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stuck - such as I was tackling the final boss - turning to multiplayer is often the solution. The multiplayer system in Ashen ranges from incredibly rewarding to annoying, entirely dependent on the player you encounter. The system is described as “passive” and works by swapping out the control of your AI companion with another player currently tackling the same quest or region. I’ve had other players let me take the lead and join me in hunting for collectibles around the world, whereas other times I had players rush from objective to objective, leap into combat like idiots, and leave me behind. The best way around this is to invite a friend but this involves defining a unique session code they must enter, rather than simply inviting them into your game. If this is not your cup of tea, you can disable multiplayer entirely and leave your companion under AI control.

In light of effort required to get to them, the first few bosses feel underwhelming, even if their size is intimidating.

Ashen aims for distinctive, stylised visuals over technical prowess, and it works. Simple geometry and flat textures work well thanks to larger-than-life structures; striking, contrasting colours; and a dynamic lighting system that comes into its own when you're exploring the many dark caves and tombs, lantern in hand and hostile eyes glowing in the distance. Environmental diversity is a big draw and every zone both looks and feels unique. Performance, even on a base Xbox One, is solid with only temporary stutters when you first enter a more complex area. Unfortunately, a lack of enemy variety – in terms of both design and behaviour - stands out in stark contrast to the myriad of environments.

Simple geometry and flat textures work well thanks to larger-than-life structures; striking, contrasting colours; and a dynamic lighting system that comes into its own when you're exploring the many dark caves and tombs, lantern in hand and hostile eyes glowing in the distance.

Some overwrought dialogue aside, the voice work is excellent, environmental sounds immersive, and the cries of your enemies and the clash of weapons impactful. By far, the most memorable part of the soundscape is the music. Ashen, although often a tension-filled experience, is about bringing light and serenity back to the world and the music always captures this feeling, especially when returning to Vagrant’s Rest. During your travels in the dark parts of the world, the music is subdued, allowing ambient audio to dominate, ramping up the tension levels.

The dynamic lighting system is an integral part of exploring the many dark places in Ashen's world, full of deadly wraiths whose glowing red eyes are the only thing that stands out in the shroud of darkness.

I’m not a huge ‘Souls fan, at least not since bouncing off Dark Souls 2, and I tend to shy away from these games as I get older; however, even though Ashen has some difficulty spikes that remind me of those games, the vibrant world, likeable characters, companion system, and soothing soundtrack all kept me coming back. Simply watching my community grow and take shape between excursions was fulfilling and provided a far more uplifting experience than any number of its peers. It’s not quite as forgiving as games like Lords of the Fallen, but Ashen could still provide a great entry point into the genre for those who have been avoiding it, especially if you can find a good coop partner.

There are 4 comments

@DG - They're fantastic up until the halfway point (and they improve as you complete their sidequests) but become increasingly less useful in the second half. as soon as you encounter heavy hitting enemies, it makes more sense for you to engage and attract enemies while your companion gets in some cheap hits. Initially I was against the multiplayer aspect but I teamed up with some great players for the last two bosses and that really changed my mind.

Quite loving this so far. The stylized visuals are fantastic and the town building mechanic is such a rewarding hook, coming back from a quest to see what's changed. I quite like the A.I. companions as they pretty much killed everything before I could even draw my sword.

@Blaze - Mechanically very much so. But it's the freedom of exploration and general feel of the world that had me hooked. It made me realise how other 'Souls-like games not only took the mechanics but often the dark and oppressive feel of the original Dark Souls (or Demon Souls before that). It's nice to sometimes kill and be killed in a more pleasant setting!